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Rural Development Challenges and Opportunities Observations from a Practitioner Standpoint. Denise Galatas Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc. New Iberia, Louisiana. So Just What Is “Rural” Anyway?. It depends on . . . WHO YOU ASK. Definitions of Rural – Round 1.
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Rural DevelopmentChallenges and OpportunitiesObservations from a Practitioner Standpoint Denise Galatas Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc. New Iberia, Louisiana
So Just What Is “Rural” Anyway? It depends on . . . WHO YOU ASK
Definitions of Rural – Round 1 According to the U. S. Census, Rural isn’t urban.
“Rural” encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. • Urbanized Areas of 50,000 or more people; and • Urban Clusters of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people.
Definitions of Rural – Round 2 According to the USDA, It depends.
Definitions of Rural – Round 3 HUD also says It depends.
We Know What We Need Resources to • Improve the quality of housing • Bridge the gap between what housing costs and what families can afford • Build the capacity of Community Development Corporations that make rural housing “happen.”
Challenges Impact of Sequestration “According to an analysis by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing programs will be hit especially hard, with approximately 125,000 individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless.” Philanthropy News Digest, March 5, 2013
Federal funding leaving rural behind “Debate over the role of government in rural areas has now passed a major turning point. It is no longer a matter of budget-tinkering. We are witnessing phased withdrawal. This is the challenge communities and community developers face.” Timothy Collins, The Daily Yonder, March 2013
Foundation funding focused on urban “While foundation giving increased more than 40% from 2004-2008, grants to rural development declined.” The Daily Yonder, February 2011
What’s Working for SMHA • Diverse funding sources • Strong partnerships • Diverse programming Deep and Place-based + Scope and Scale • Entrepreneurial approaches
Opportunities Connect to the work of national partners National Rural Housing Coalition http://ruralhousingcoalition.org/ Housing Assistance Council (HAC) http://www.ruralhome.org/
Know Our State Partners Know and Learn From/With Our Peers “Tell Our Story” Learn from the Stories of Others http://www.dailyyonder.com/
Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc. 3602 Old Jeanerette Road New Iberia, Louisiana 70563 Phone: (337) 367-3277 Fax: (337) 367-3279 E-mail: dgalatas@cox.net www.SouthernMutualHelp.org